


shoulder

by magearna



Series: college/soulmate au [8]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, POV Second Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 14:53:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7719112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magearna/pseuds/magearna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>college + soulmate au // in which you live in a world where everyone has a soulmate timer on their wrist, which keeps track of time from the moment you're born and only stops when you meet your soulmate. // being in a sleepless state, it's inevitable for you to take a nap on the bus - but not on the shoulder of the person who happened to be your soulmate of all people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	shoulder

**Author's Note:**

> happy 8/8 day!! here's the 8th part on the 8th day of the 8th month - even though it's already the 9th in some places but not according to CST so it counts. happy birthday, seungcheol! ♡

It’s been three – no, maybe _four_ – days since you last slept properly.

You yawn into your sleeve as the bus to campus closes its doors and it starts up again to drive through its route. Once again you had spent another sleepless night hunched over your desk, working on your model that was due in a few days. As an architecture student, models and designs were practically due every week. Not to mention you also had to juggle other schoolwork from your other mandatory and elective classes. In order to keep up, you had to sacrifice sleep.

Because of that sacrifice, coffee inevitably became your best friend.

However it seemed like the effects of caffeine were taking slower than usual to kick in. Or maybe the effects were nonexistent for you now, you wonder as you yawn into the sleeve of your gray oversized cardigan (a closet staple and a favorite of yours). After all, you’ve drunk at least two cups of coffee for the past couple of days to help get you through your classes.

You sleepily rub your eyes, stifling a groan. _Great, my body’s rejecting my last resort to stay awake._

Sleep _was_ possible – but with the work you had to complete that week, it was pretty much a luxury. The model for your studio class was due in four days and it was the only major project left that was due for the end of the month. But assuming your productivity rate was constant and there were no factors interfering with the completion of the project, you should be (hopefully) done by tomorrow.

Another yawn threatens to escape your lips and you immediately cover your mouth with your sleeve just as someone takes the empty seat beside you. As the bus doors close again and the drive continues, you look out the window. The trip wasn’t even halfway done yet. A little nap wouldn’t hurt, right?

Your body seems to agree as your head leans on the glass of the windows and your eyelids immediately droop shut.

–

The sensation of someone gently shaking your shoulder slowly rouses you from your nap and a soft whine escapes your lips upon being woken up.

“Sorry to wake you up,” a low voice murmurs softly. “But we’re about to arrive on campus.”

 _Arriving…?_ You didn’t want to leave just yet…the glass was so soft and comfortable…

 

_Wait…since when was glass soft?_

Your eyes slowly flutter open and what greets you is the sun. Or rather, it’s a grin so bright that it was like staring into the sun, belonging to a stranger. His face was close to yours that you could see how long his lashes were and how smooth his skin was.

You blink and it takes a moment for you to register the close proximity. After a heartbeat, you immediately jolt away from him in panic, banging your right elbow against the wall of the bus in the process.

“Ow…” You whimper, immediately clutching your elbow upon the impact.

The stranger looks concerned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” You blurt out, your cheeks burning in embarrassment.

There’s a look of relief on the stranger’s face, which turns into a bright grin. “I’m glad you’re okay. You were sound asleep on my shoulder for a while so I was worried you weren’t feeling well –“

“Wait…” You gape at him. “I was _what?_ ”

He shrugs nonchalantly, a smirk forming on his lips as he repeats himself. “You were asleep on my shoulder.“

Your eyes widen in terror as you process his words. “Oh, god, I’m _so_ sorry.”

Just as the words come out of your mouth, the bus pulls over to the university bus terminal and the doors open to allow the passengers to get off. The stranger flashes you another dazzling grin as he puts his backpack on and you hastily follow after the students leaving the bus.

The stranger’s waiting for you under the awning of the bus terminal and you feel dread as you hurry over to quickly apologize. Was he mad? Did you drool on him? Were you snoring? You had so many questions in your mind but you didn’t want to know the answer to them.

He quirks an eyebrow up at you and you take a deep breath, the words spilling out of your mouth. “Listen, I’m so sorry about falling asleep on you, please don’t get mad, it was an accident, sorry again and bye!”

Before he can react, you turn on your heel and hurry to the direction of the building where your first class was in.

Your hands fly to your cheeks and sure enough, they were burning. You sure hope as hell that you wouldn’t have to see that stranger again and that he has your face erased from his memory. You continue to speedily walk to class while rolling up the baggy sleeves of your cardigan out of habit. However, you freeze in your tracks upon noticing something unusual on your non-dominant wrist.

The numbers on your soulmate timer had stopped. _22 years, 2 months, 3 hours, 30 minutes._ The frozen numbers meant that you had your first meeting with your soulmate and you look around your surroundings.

 _It was probably that stranger on the bus…!_ You run a hand through your hair. It made sense, really (rather, it was the only thing that made sense) – everyone knew that the timers only stopped during your first meeting with your destined one. And the only person you met that morning was the person you were sitting beside (and slept on) during the bus ride to school.

Your heart starts to race as you recall the bright smile of the boy who sat beside you.

–

Fridays meant that you only had world history at 8:30 and then you were clear for the rest of the day. You sigh, plopping down on a seat all the way in the back of the lecture theatre and plugging in your laptop at a nearby outlet. Halfway through working on your model last night, you had forgotten to charge your laptop before heading out to class. This meant you had to steal someone’s “unofficial” seat for the day just so you could use the outlet.

“Sorry for ruining the unofficial seating arrangement,” you mutter as you type in your password.

“I don’t really mind, since fate brought us together again.

You slowly look up at the sound of the voice, your eyes widening as you register whom it belonged to. It’s the boy from the bus again, the very same one whose shoulder you had slept on and the one who caused your timer to stop. You gape at him as he plops down on the seat to your right. “What…are you doing here?”

The boy grins. “I’m in this class too. By the way, you’re sitting on my ‘unofficial’ spot.”

“Ah…”

The boy extends a hand out to you, smiling warmly. “I’m Seungcheol, an education major. You are…?”

You shyly extend your hand out for a handshake, telling him your name and that you’re an architecture student. Seungcheol’s eyes form half-moons when he beams at you and you can’t help but feel a bit charmed at the way he smiles.

Seungcheol gets settled in his seat in preparation for the lecture, taking out a sleek black laptop from his backpack, and you can’t help but watch him from the corner of your eye. You didn’t realize it in your earlier flustered state, but Seungcheol was good-looking. The boy had thick black hair, distinct features with long lashes and smooth skin, and his smile was endearing. He was dressed in a gray bomber jacket, a plain white t-shirt, and dark wash jeans.

 _How on earth do you tell someone that you’re their soulmate?_ You wanted to bring it up to Seungcheol but you didn’t know how. Not especially after what happened earlier that morning. Saying something like _I know I fell asleep on you earlier this morning, but we’re soulmates_ sounded kind of silly. You try to recall your friends’ stories on their first meetings with their own soulmates, hoping to get an idea.

However, the sound of the professor speaking into the microphone to garner everyone’s attention immediately makes you sit straighter in your seat, ready to take notes on your laptop on the Renaissance. As the slides appear on the projector, Seungcheol leans a bit closer, startling you.

“By the way,” Seungcheol whispers in a low voice. “If you want to sleep…my shoulder’s ready again.”

You whip your head to his direction with reddened cheeks, your expression resembling a deer in headlights as you try to formulate a response. “W-wh-wha–“

Seungcheol winks mischievously before returning his attention to the presentation.

–

Throughout the fifty-minute long lecture, you couldn’t help but occasionally glance at Seungcheol from the corner of your eye as you simultaneously listened to the lecture and mulled over how you were going to approach him upon the end of class. For you, it was hard to just approach somebody you believed to be your soulmate (even more when you add on the fact that you fell asleep on him).

Soon enough, the professor announces the end of class and everyone starts to pack up their belongings. You zip up your laptop sleeve before stuffing it and the charger into the depths of your backpack, about to slide the straps on your shoulders when a cough from your right distracts you.

Seungcheol’s smiling down at you and you stare at him. “Yes?”

There’s a mischievous glint in Seungcheol’s eyes that you don’t miss. “Well…don’t you have something to say to me?”

“Um…” You pause. “I’m sorry for sleeping on your shoulder while on the bus this morning…?”

Seungcheol bursts into laughter at your response, eyes forming half moons again. “Was that all? I swear you kept looking at me during class as if you wanted to say something important to me.”

You blush. _Ah, he saw._ “Um…well…”

Seungcheol watches you patiently as you try to put together the words you’ve been meaning to say all morning. You stand up and take a deep breath, bracing yourself as you look into his eyes. _Here goes nothing_. “I hope this doesn’t sound weird and all and I did fall asleep on your shoulder today but my soulmate timer stopped and I think you’re my soulmate.”

It’s silent save for the sound of the lecture theatre doors closing after the last person and you feel your heart thumping in your chest as a cheeky grin appears on Seungcheol’s face. “Oh wow…I didn’t expect my soulmate to be this cute.”

You feel your breath becoming lodged in your throat. “So…you knew?”

Seungcheol nods, his expression softening. “I knew the moment your head was on my shoulder. That’s why I wanted to talk to you when we got off the bus.”

 _Ah_ … _so that's why._ There’s an indescribable feeling in your chest when you realize that your soulmate found you too and that he knew that you were his destined person. A relieved breathless laugh escapes your lips. The two of you had been apart for twenty-two years and the realization that you were finally face to face with Seungcheol made you swell with so many emotions that you needed a moment to calm down. When you look up to meet his eyes once again, you notice that he’s looking at you warmly.

 _Maybe something good did come out of falling asleep in the bus_ , you think as you finally speak up. “You know…I _actually_ do have something to say to you.”

“Oh?” Seungcheol tilts his head to the side. “What is it?”

“Do…you want to get coffee with me? Right now?” You look up at him shyly, playing with your hands behind your back. “Er…if you don’t have class, that is.”

Seungcheol’s eyes crinkle once again as he beams at you and you feel your heart skip a beat. “I would love to.”


End file.
